1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to a method for fitting an object with a cable harness that consists of at least one flexible flat conductor and with electric/electronic devices connected to the at least one flat conductor, as well as a utilization of such a method. The invention furthermore pertains to a system with several electric/electronic devices, with a cable harness that consists of at least one flexible flat conductor and with an object to be fitted with the electric/electronic devices.
2. Background Art
Certain objects need to be fitted with electric and/or electronic devices for numerous applications, wherein the devices are connected to one another or to an existing system with their external connections. If the object with its devices should be connected to another unit or an existing system, a connecting plug is integrated into the electric wiring. Depending on the design of the object, the devices and the intended fitting method, the object is initially fitted with the at least one flat conductor and then with the devices to be mounted thereon. The electric contacts between the devices and the individual conductors of the conductor set are realized with the aid of plug connectors, wherein the conductor ends of a flat conductor section which need to be contacted carry a corresponding plug connector partxe2x80x94that is realized in the form of either a plug or a socket. The electric connections between the conductors and the electrically conductive parts of the plug connector parts arranged on the end of a conductor is usually realized in the form of a crimp connection or with the aid of a joining method.
Flat ribbon-types cablesxe2x80x94so-called flexible film conductorsxe2x80x94are increasingly utilized as conductor sets for, in particular, fitting larger objects. When equipping larger objects with the required electric/electronic devices, for example, the carrier for the technical components of a door, the flat conductors or the cable harnesses consisting thereof are difficult to handle in the desired arrangement and configuration due to their size and flaccid flexural characteristics. In order to realize such a cable harness, a section of a flat conductor containing the sufficient number of electric conductors is cut to the required size, with the desired configuration of the cable harness being achieved by bending certain flat conductor branches. However, this process is complicated and associated with the risk of breaking the conductors at the bending points when the bends are produced in order to achieve the desired change in direction of a flat conductor branch. This is the reason why this bending process needs to be carried out very carefully.
The mechanized manufacture of such a cable harness consisting of a large flat conductor section can only be realized with an unjustifiably high expenditure. In addition, all conductors of the cable harness have the same cross-sectional surface such that current-bearing lines and signaling lines cannot be assembled together. It would also be possible to manufacture such a cable harness by connecting individual flat conductors that, if applicable, may also have different dimensions and may be assembled differently by means of suitable connectors, for example, jumper connectors. However, this would require that all conductors of the individual flat conductors which need to be electrically connected to one another be equipped with such connectors.
The aforementioned problems in the complicated handling of such a cable harness can (theoretically) be prevented if the objects are equipped with the required electric lines in accordance with the so-called MID-technique (Moulded Interconnect Device). In this method, the strip conductors are usually applied onto the object by means of a printing process. Small openings, into which a contact pin is soldered, serve for contacting the devices arranged on the object. This contact pin can then be contacted by means of a plug connector. However, the MID-technique is not suitable for fitting large objects, in particular, if the cross-sectional surface of the conductors used should have a certain size as is, for example, the case with the cable harness assigned to a carrier for the technical components of a motor vehicle door.
Based on the previously discussed state of the art, the invention aims to develop a method for fitting an object of the initially described type which not only makes it possible to fit larger objects with, if so required, different flat conductors in order to realize a cable harness, but can also be easily and economically carried out with only a few steps, namely even when handling cable harnesses with highly flaccid flexural characteristics.
The invention also aims to develop a system of the initially described type which makes it possible to fit, if so required, larger objects with individually designed cable harnesses consisting of flat conductors by simple means and with justifiable expenditure.
The objective of the invention is attained due to the fact that, in order to realize the respective plug connector parts for contacting the electric/electronic devices to be mounted thereon, the object contains an element for realizing one part of the plug connector, and the electric/electronic devices to be mounted contain a complementary plug connector part.
In one embodiment of the invention, the object, for example, a carrier for the technical components of a door, serves as the mounting table and workpiece carrier, onto which at least one flat conductor of the intended size is placed and fixed in its intended configuration in order to realize a cable harness. Since the cable harness that, if so required, may also have a large size is actually placed directly onto the object, an isolated handling of the cable harness alone, e.g., from another support surface onto the object, is avoided. The sections of the flat conductors which need to be contacted with the electric/electronic devices are stripped before the flat conductor is arranged on the object, preferably on only one side. The conductors in the flat conductor section which need to be contacted are exposed in this fashion.
However, the object not only serves as the mounting table, but also contains elements for realizing one part of the plug connector by utilizing the stripped flat conductor sections. These sections of the flat conductors are arranged on the object such that they extend over such an element. The elements for realizing the plug connector may, for example, consist of a contact segment that protrudes from the object if the object should contain a male plug connector part. However, if the object should contain a female plug connector part, the element may consist of a square opening in the object.
The electric/electronic devices used respectively contain a complementary plug connector part that is realized in the form of a socket for contacting a male plug connector part situated on the object or in the form of a male plug connector part that is inserted into the opening in the object. In the latter instance, the section of the film conductor which lies on the opening is also drawn into the opening during the inserting process such that the opening with the loop-like flat conductor section held therein subsequently forms a socket. The electric/electronic devices are suitably mounted on the object, for example, by means of screw connections or clip-on connections.
In another embodiment of the invention, the cable harness is not produced on the object, but rather on a intermediate carrier. In this case, the surface of the intermediate carrier on which several flat conductors are usually arranged has a negative surface in reference to the surface of the object to be fitted. The utilization of such an intermediate carrier is sensible in instances in which the realization of the cable harness on the object requires steps that possibly could damage the object.
For example, an intermediate carrier is used if individual flat conductors or the electric conductors contained therein should be connected to one another by means of a joining method, for example, laser welding or ultrasonic welding, in order to realize the desired cable harness. When carrying out such a joining method, it must be possible to access the location at which the joint is produced from both sides. In this case, the intermediate carrier may contain an opening at these locations. However this is undesirable with certain objects, for example, a carrier for the technical components of a door.
Due to the design of the intermediate carrier with a negative, complementary surface in reference to the surface of the object to be fitted, the cable harness produced on the intermediate carrier can be easily transferred to the object by joining the intermediate carrier with the cable harness and the object such that the cable harness produced on the intermediate carrier is arranged between the two elements similar to a sandwich. The object comprises suitable connecting means for ensuring that the cable harness remains on the object when the two elements are separated from one another. For example, the object may contain adhesive spots to which the flat conductor adheres. Other types of connections would also be conceivable, for example, snap-on or clip-on connections.
The cable harness that is arranged on the intermediate carrier in its final configuration is transferred to the object to be fitted. This means that the intermediate carrier represents a tool for fitting an object that is realized in the form of a formed part. It would also be conceivable to arrange on the intermediate carrier the electric/electronic devices that are to be subsequently placed on the object or formed part. Such an arrangement primarily appears practical if an object should be fitted in several planes that lie on top of one another because the intermediate carrier respectively provides a working surface and the transfer to the object only takes place once the installation and wiring of this layer is finished.
The intermediate carrier may also be used for, in particular, realizing three-dimensional cable harnesses. In this case, the intermediate carrier serves for realizing the corresponding three-dimensional configuration of the cable harness during the transfer, i.e., after it was arranged as intended in the plane of the intermediate carrier. In this case, the process of joining the two elements is simultaneously used for deforming the cable harness in the third dimension.
The plug connector parts for contacting the electric/electronic devices which utilize the flat conductors are preferably also arranged on the object to be fitted with the cable harness. The intermediate carrier contains a negative structure that correspond to the design of the plug connector part assigned to the object.
The description of the invention makes it clear that the invention is suitable for fitting objects with decentralized devices if the cable harness should be composed of several individual flat conductors. The sections provided for connecting the electric conductors of the individual flat conductors, for example, by means of a joining method, are correspondingly stripped beforehand and arranged on the object or the intermediate carrier in an overlapping fashion in these regions such that the object or the intermediate carrier can be used as a stable work surface when transporting the individual joining positions to, for example, an automated ultrasonic welding device instead of having to handle the individual ends or sections of the flexible film conductors.
The arrangement of the individual sections on the object or the intermediate carrier is advantageous when angled or, in particular, oblique-angled conductor branches of a central flat conductor section should be produced, namely because the individual flat conductor sections are already arranged as intended and can be transported to the automated joining device in this configuration. Branches that are not realized with the intended angle make it necessary to bend the flat conductor branch in order to reach the electric/electronic device to be contacted. This means that the flat conductor branch no longer flatly adjoins the surface of the object. However, this is prevented with the method according to the invention.
The individual steps of the method may also be carried out at different locations and without a chronological correlation due to the fact that a work surface is provided on which the cable harness can be arranged in its intended configurationxe2x80x94for example, the object itself or the intermediate carrierxe2x80x94because the cable harness or its individual flat conductor sections is/are fixed on the object or the intermediate carrier.
The methods according to the invention are particularly suitable for fitting larger objects with electric/electronic devices in a decentralized fashion. This is the reason why one preferred utilization of this method pertains to a carrier for the technical components of a motor vehicle door.
In addition to the required electric/electronic devices and the flexible flat conductors for realizing the cable harness, the core of the claimed fitting system consists of the object to be fitted which contains elements for realizing one part of a plug connector for contacting the devices with the flat conductors, namely by respectively utilizing a flat conductor section. The element assigned to the object may, for example, be realized in the form of a contact segment that protrudes from its surface if the devices should be contacted with a male plug connector part. However, if the devices should be contacted with a female plug connector part, the object contains corresponding openings, into which a male plug connector part of a device can be inserted while simultaneously drawing in the flat conductor section situated on the opening during the inserting process.
Due to this measure, the devices are directly contacted by the electric conductors contained in the flat conductor branch without having to additionally equip these conductors with corresponding plug connector parts. This type of contact correspondingly results in less electric junctions in comparison with the prior state of the art.
The system may also comprise an intermediate carrier with a negative surface in reference to the surface of the object to be fitted, wherein the cable harness consisting of individual flat conductors is arranged and configured on this intermediate carrier.